A Christmas Tale
by Lizzy3
Summary: This just a little Christmas ditty about Ron proposing to Hermione. Yes, yes, yes, I'm a definate H/R shipper so sue me (not litterally). Anyway, I've thrown in some H/G and a Christmas Song- It's Begining to Look a lot Like Christmas. R&R Everyone and Ha


Disclaimer- All Harry Potter Characters belong to JK Rowling, the rest belong to me MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. The plot's mine and I don't know who the hell the song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas belongs to but I used that too. Please don't sue and read and review, (I'm a poet and I didn't know it!). Enjoy!  
  
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,  
  
Ev'rywhere you go;  
  
Take a look in the five-and-ten,  
  
Glistening once again  
  
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled down Hogsmeade, occasionally looking into the stores. They were all laden with big bags decorated in various colors of green and red, (the store owners thought the red and green bags were a selling point, ha ha ha!). Ron had almost gone crazy when he looked into his wallet and found money! His father had gotten a big promotion, being second to Remus Lupin, the Minister of Magic. Remus became the first ½ human Minister of Magic ever.  
  
Harry and Hermione were going to join the Weasleys for what they thought, though Ron tried to convince them other wise, was going to be a calm, family Christmas. Everyone was coming, Sirius, his wife Anne, his adopted, 11-year-old daughter Bonnie, The whole of the Weasley family, Remus, even Dumbledore and McGonagall, (who were married), were going to make an appearance. Harry was quite excited, as was Hermione. They had liked the summers they spent with the Weasleys so much that Christmas just seemed like it should be even better. This was also to be the first Christmas in the Weasley's new house, The Burrow 2.  
  
"So, have you gotten all the gifts you need?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think so, let me check my list," Ron said grinning and pulling out a long list of names and corresponding gifts. "I have all but one, I have to get yours Hermione so why don't you just go to the Three Broomsticks and get a Butter Bear," Ron smirked.  
  
"Why doesn't Harry join me?" Hermione asked acting offended.  
  
"Because, I need him to come with me. Believe me, I really need him there. You want me to get the right thing don't you?" Ron asked, pleading with Hermione.  
  
"Fine," she sighed, pecking him on the cheek before walking away toward the Three Broomsticks. They had been dating for over 3 years, since the summer after 4th year, (They were then in 7th).  
  
"So, what is this special gift I need to help you pick out?" Harry asked, as they walked down the street.  
  
"Well, I'll give you a hint, I get it at a jewelry store," Ron said, a small smile gracing his lips.  
  
"This can't be what I think it is.is it?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, that all depends on what you think it is, what do you think it is?"  
  
"Are you going to propose?" Harry asked in amazement.  
  
"Yep," Ron answered, walking into the jewelry store. "I've already pretty much decided which one to get but I need your input." He brought a small crystal case over to where Harry was standing and opened it up. It was a small diamond with tiny little sapphires encircling it. The band was slender and shown so bright that Harry was almost blinded. "Sapphire is her birthstone, the ring itself is really old. It was supposedly given to a princess by a knight as a symbol of his love for her before going into battle," Ron said, simply beaming.  
  
"It's perfect," Harry breathed, gazing at it in amazement. "This is defiantly the one. When are you going to ask her?" he asked, looking up.  
  
"Christmas Eve, right before the stroke of midnight," Ron answered.  
  
"Wow, you're going to get married! Never thought it would be Hermione mate."  
  
"Well, only if she says yes." Ron went up to the counter and paid for the ring. "Do you want to get anything while we're here?" Ron asked. Harry and Ginny would be dating one whole year on Christmas Eve. At first, Ron had wanted to strangle Harry but when he saw how happy Ginny was that quickly faded.  
  
"Yeah, what do you think Ginny would like?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know; her birthstone's an Emerald though." Just as Ron said this, a necklace caught his eye. It was a small, silver locket with tiny Emerald specks on the face. The chain was made of the thinnest silver strands imaginable. Harry red the plack next to the display case. "This locket comes from the heart of Ireland, it was crafted by the legendary Gerald Smith over 200 years ago. The necklace is supposed to protect the wearer and remind her of the giver."  
  
"This is perfect," Harry sighed.  
  
"Yes, the Locket of Protection has intrigued many, but are you the right one?" the gray-eyed clerk said, looking at Harry.  
  
"I'll take it," Harry said, eyeing the man with suspicion.  
  
"All right, but if you're not the right one, the shield won't work," the man said, taking Harry's money and wrapping up the necklace. Harry and Ron left to join Hermione, tucking their new packages with the old ones.  
  
"That guy was crackpot!" Ron exclaimed, looking back at the jewelry shop.  
  
"Tell me about it, glad I got out of there!" Harry replied.  
  
" It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,  
  
Toys in ev'ry store,  
  
But the prettiest sight to see  
  
Is the holly that will be  
  
On your own front door."  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Bonnie all sat in the compartment. Bonnie was sleeping on Harry's lap. It was her first year at Hogwarts and Harry took his role of big brother very seriously. "How much longer till King's Cross?" Harry asked.  
  
"Probably about 5 minutes, you better wake up Bonnie," Ginny answered, gazing down at the slumbering brunette.  
  
"Bonnie, sweetie, wake up, we're almost to the station," Harry said, shaking her a bit. Bonnie sat up and rubbed her eyes.  
  
"How much longer till we get there Harry?" she asked in a groggy voice.  
  
"Bout' 5 minutes," he answered.  
  
When they stepped of the train they swept the station. Harry soon caught sight of Sirius and Anne waving madly at them, and walked over with Bonnie in tow. "Happy Christmas darlings!" Anne said, throwing her arms around their necks.  
  
"Happy Christmas Pumpkin!" Sirius exclaimed holding out his arms for Bonnie. She threw her arms about his neck and he twirled her around, (she was a very young 11). "Happy Christmas Harry!" he said, thumping him on the back.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Anne, Sirius, I'm going to go find the Weasleys. I'll see you all at the Burrow, well the Burrow 2," he said, waving at them.  
  
When he joined the Weasleys, Mrs. Weasley gave him a hug, and the rest of the family greeted him warmly. They took 4 taxis to the house. When they reached it they were all amazed. It was huge! It was a huge brick mansion and it was bedecked in all its holiday splendor. Tinsel and garlands hung from the lighted windows, wreathes were hung on both of the great doors. The colossal pine that stood in the vast front yard was decorated with bows and fairy lights.  
  
They pulled their luggage to the house after wishing the drivers a Happy Christmas. "When we get inside, Carrie will show you all to your rooms," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"Who's Carrie Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, she's our house keeper," Mrs. Weasley answered.  
  
"Wow!" They all gasped as they entered the Entrance Hall.  
  
"Follow me dears," a chubby, good-natured looking woman said, starting to climb the stairs. Harry was showed up to Ron's room. It was a lot nicer then his old room but it was still painted orange and had Chudley Cannons posters over. Hermione parted and entered Ginny's.  
  
Now, as a writer I think it's kind of annoying to write descriptions of rooms, but I have this vision in my head that I need to get out, so here goes. Ginny's room was big, with and adjacent bathroom. The whole room was painted a cool yellow. The bed was big with a fluffy, white comforter. The comforter also had tiny little gold stars specked all over it. The bed was made of thick, strong oak. The bed had pillows scattered all over it. A large, full-length mirror stood in the corner next to the balcony doors. A desk sat in the other corner. The bathroom was also painted yellow, it had a black and white tile floor and a huge bathtub sat in the middle a toilet was nestled in the very back and a sink and vanity stood against the wall. Well, I got that out of my system.  
  
They all unpacked till dinner was announced when they all came down. They ate soup in the living room and watched a Christmas movie, (Mr. Weasley was very insistent that he needed a DVD player). They watched Miracle on 34th Street before heading up to bed. Sirius, Anne, and Bonnie all shared a room and were all too happy to retire.  
  
That night, Ron snuggled under his covers, finally implanting his but groove once more. He closed his eyes and dreamed of Hermione as he often did. He slept all night with a smile on his face and woke to the smell of bacon they wafted from the kitchen, (placed under Ron's room to his explicit instruction). He trotted down the stairs and he found a showered and dressed Hermione already sitting at the table.  
  
"Morning darling!" he said brightly, kissing her neck.  
  
"Ron!" she hissed, "Your mother is watching us!" Ron rolled his eyes and took a seat next to her.  
  
"Did you sleep well dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
"Yep, like a bloody baby!" he exclaimed, taking a piece of bacon from the plate in front of him.  
  
"You watch your tongue young man!" Mrs. Weasley snapped at him. Ron grinned at his mother and started eating. They were soon joined by Harry, Ginny, Fred, George, Bill and his entourage, Percy and his, Charlie with his wife and kids, Sirius, Anne, Remus, Bonnie, and Mr. Weasley. After breakfast Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Bonnie, Fred, and George went out for a snowball fight.  
  
"A pair of hopalong boots  
  
And a pistol that shoots  
  
Is the wish of Barney and Ben;  
  
Dolls that will talk  
  
And will go for a walk  
  
Is the hope of Janice and Jen;  
  
And Mom and Dad can hardly wait  
  
for school to start again."  
  
"Hey! Don't put it down my shirt Ron!" Hermione yelped as Ron shoved a snowball down her back. "I'll get you for that one Ron!"  
  
He easily out ran her and he was laughing his head off so he had to stop. She dove at him and tried to pull him down. She was easily a foot shorter then he. He being 6'4 and she being 5'2 so he simply picked her up and set her down on the ground before she could thrust the dripping snowball down his sweater. "Hey! Why do they always pick on the short ones?" she asked, laughing and trying to look cross at the same time. The result was actually quite comical.  
  
"Because 'Short people got, short people got, no reason live!'" he said, belting out a horrible impression of Stevey Wonder (that's who sang it, right?).  
  
"You think you're pretty cute huh," Hermione said, sauntering over to him before throwing the snowball in his face and running off. When realization dawned on him, he started chasing her. She hid behind Harry who was laughing. "Harry, protect me!" she squeaked.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey, don't bring me into this!" Harry laughed, stepping out of the way. He dove at her and tackled her to the ground. He tickled her mercilessly till she giggling so hard that she started choking.  
  
Mrs. Weasley stepped out of the house as the most inopportune time, just as Fred lobbed a snowball at Ginny who was standing in front of the door. She avoided it but it flew right into Mrs. Weasley's face. "FRED!" she screeched before her face broke into a smile.  
  
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,  
  
Ev'rywhere you go;  
  
There's a tree in the Grand Hotel,  
  
One in the park as well,  
  
The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow"  
  
They came inside for lunch and after lunch they lounged in the living room. They decided to watch another Christmas movie; It's a Wonderful Life. During the movie Ron tried to play a little footsie with Hermione. He started his foot up her leg, into her jeans. She slapped his foot and went back to watching the movie.  
  
"Come on Herm, get into the spirit of Christmas." He whined.  
  
"Ho, ho, ho," she said, looking at him a bit icily. He stuck his tongue out at her but went back to watching the movie. A bit later he tried again, she looked at him in amazement. He stopped but tried again a bit later, this continued till the movie ended.  
  
That night, everybody gathered in the living room to decorate the tree. It was rather picturesque and Mrs. Weasley missed not chance to take a picture. By then it was the day before Christmas Even and everybody, despite what Ron might think, was in the Christmas spirit.  
  
Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived that night and everybody was content. Everybody, that is, except Ron. He was obsessing late into the night. His father, hearing something downstairs at 2:00 walked down and found Ron pacing the hall. He was mumbling absent-mindedly to himself.  
  
"Ron, what are you doing down her at this time of morning?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake anyone?" Ron asked, jerking himself out of his revere.  
  
"No, just me, now what are you doing?" he asked again.  
  
"Okay, I guess I better tell you. You'd find out tomorrow anyway. I'm proposing to Hermione tomorrow and I'm just a tad bit nervous," Ron said, blushing brightly.  
  
Mr. Weasley's face split into a wide grin. "I can't believe you're going to get married! I mean, I remember when you were this small," he said, putting his arms down to signify a baby Ron.  
  
"Dad, please don't get all wishy washy on me. You were like this when Bill, Charlie, and Percy got engaged. It's really not very Dad/Son like. You're acting more like mum," Ron said, blushing even redder.  
  
"What, so I love all my children! So, you're embarrassed when I talk about how little you were. Don't try to get out of this, I have to do this, it's the Weasley way. Now we're just going to sit down a take a look at your baby book. Just be happy I'm doing it in front of everyone," Mr. Weasley said, leading Ron over to the couch.  
  
They spent 2 hours looking over the baby book. Mr. Weasley telling old stories about Ron's first potty, and a whole bunch of other embarrassing tid-bits. When they finished Mr. Weasley hugged Ron and wished him luck. Ron blushed again; even redder but bid his dad goodnight.  
  
The next morning, Ron was sitting at the table, looking clean and fresh when Hermione came down. "You're looking good this morning baby," Hermione said, kissing him on the top of the head. Mr. Weasley lifted his eyebrow.  
  
"You're looking good too," he said, glaring at his father. After breakfast they all gathered around the fireplace. Diagon Alley had a Christmas Eve celebration not unlike the ones at Disney World, for those of you who've been. There were rides and food and parades all day, culminating in a celebration that lasted from 9:30 to midnight, consisting of parades, fireworks, and countless other things. It was always something the Weasleys had looked forward to.  
  
Bill grasped his son Arthur's hand as they stepped into the fire and said Diagon Alley. His wife, Julia, followed suit with their infant daughter Kerrie in her arms. Then came Charlie with his baby daughter, Corrine, then his wife Carrie followed with the baby's twin brother Connor. Percy helped a very pregnant Penny then came the twins. They were looking forward to both the busyness of their shop and their girl friends- Angelina and Greta. Sirius took Bonnie's hand and led her in. Anne came next, followed by Ginny, then Mrs. Weasley, Harry, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and then finally Ron took a pinch of Floo Powder.  
  
They appeared in a bustling street alive with witches and wizards. The children were about to blow their tops with excitement. Bonnie was blushing brightly when she saw George Glass, her father stepped in and waved at George as well. She was seen hitting Sirius and glaring at him.  
  
Ron took Hermione's hand after feeling his coat pocket for the tiny ring box. After making sure it was there he started down the road with Hermione. Harry and Ginny followed. He looked over at Hermione's face, it was aglow with holiday cheer, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were sparkling. He smiled; she turned her head to look at him.  
  
"I love Christmas, it's my favorite time of year," she murmured to him.  
  
"I know," Ron said grinning even wider.  
  
They rode rides and walked around till noon when they all met up at a café to have lunch and watch the parade. They could see it perfectly from their table outside. Ron had his niece and goddaughter, Corrine, sitting on his lap so as to give Charlie and Carrie a break. She cued as she saw the brightly masked people. Glowing, star-shaped confetti had been enchanted to fall. She giggled as it fell all over her face. He lifted her up and tickled her and she giggled even harder. Hermione gazed at him thinking how good he looked holding a baby.  
  
Ron caught her gaze and pointed to her, and said to Corrine: "Hey, that's Hermione, that's the girl I'm in love with," Hermione smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. She knew Ron was the one, she knew she would marry him, if he didn't ask, she would. She knew she was in love with him, and he with her, everything was perfect.  
  
When the parade ended it, it was 3:00. They all walked away, setting their watches to 7:00 when they'd meet for dinner. Ron and Hermione walked hand in hand, just looking around at the snow-covered wonderland. They went inside shops and looked around. At about 5:00 they stopped for a cup of tea.  
  
"You know I love you, don't you?" Hermione asked suddenly.  
  
"Yep, don't know why, but I know, and you know I'm in love with you. We're just two hopeless romantics, walking blissfully through a world of snow and falling stars," he said, looking into her eyes.  
  
"I'm so glad you came into my life Ron," she said, leaning over and kissing him. They blended and in the background, a choir sang Christmas songs. "I wish it would snow," Hermione said, looking up at the sky.  
  
"I'd make it snow if I could, but we're still underage," Ron laughed. They looked down at their watches.  
  
"We better get going, it'll take us a ½ hour just to get through the crowds and it's 5:45," she said, leaving money at the table and getting up to leave.  
  
They wrestled through the crowds and barely made it to Calhoun's in time for their 7:00 reservation. Everybody was there waiting for them and they went in to the table. Dinner took 2 hours and everybody hurried out so they could get good seats. Ron and Hermione went up to a grassy knoll where they could see everything. The rest of the people went to the side of the street so the kids would be able to see and hear everything. They sat and watched the parade and fireworks for a long time in silence, then Ron heard the clock strike midnight. He jumped a little before drawing Hermione up.  
  
He knelt down in front of her and drew out the little box. "Hermione, we've been friends for 6 ½ years now. I know I love you with all my heart, would you marry me and make me the happiest person in the whole entire world?"  
  
Hermione nodded tearfully as Ron slipped the ring on her finger. They didn't notice everybody's eyes on them they just kissed. Their tears mixed on each other's faces and they didn't hear the voices of the choir singing:  
  
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;  
  
Soon the bells will start,  
  
And the thing that will make them ring  
  
Is the carol that you sing  
  
Right within your heart."  
  
"Happy Christmas Ron," Hermione whispered, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Happy Christmas Hermione."  
  
A/N- So, how'd you like it? I just wanted to wish everybody a happy Christmas. So, Happy Christmas! 


End file.
